- Chapter 28 -

Extended Family

Two months ago…

Across the seas in Japan, a mysterious ninja clan met up in a secluded location.

"It doesn't make sense," one of them, a teenage boy, remarked. "Why would Shredder and the Foot just pack up and leave for New York out of the blue?"

"Clearly, something drew their attention," another ninja, an older man, replied. "Something that merited Shredder's attention personally."

"But what?" the boy questioned. "What could be so important that he'd abandon Japan altogether?"

At that moment, a third ninja, this one a woman in her early thirties, stepped forward.

"This." She showed them a photo taken from the news, depicting the shuriken that was revealed on the Channel 6 report many months back.

"The Hamato Clan crest?" the boy said in surprise.

"Could it be true?" the man questioned. "Yoshi… is alive?"

"We have to be sure," the woman insisted. "First thing in the morning, we leave for New York. To find Master Yoshi… and the truth."

Now…

Back in New York, the Hamato siblings, along with Kagome, were out on their nightly training run. Despite the two months that had passed, they were still celebrating their greatest victory.

"And then I threw my sai into that Krangdroid's eye socket," Raph gloated. "BOOM!"

"Don't forget how I blew that rock monster's leg off," Leo added. "And you should've seen the looks on Krang and Ch'rell's faces when I bailed out and left them to go down with the Technodrome. It was like their whole world collapsed!"

"Wish I could have seen that," Hisako commented. "I bet they were like this."

She made an exaggerated scared face, eliciting laughs from the entire group.

"What about Kasumi and Dad?" Vee pointed out. "Man, I wish I could've seen them tag-team the Shredder that day."

"I know, right?" Kagome agreed. "I bet they kicked his ass five ways to Sunday."

"Guys, guys, guys," Mikey cut in. "The real MVP here is Hisako. If she hadn't gone Dark Phoenix on those brain blobs, the whole world would've been covered in ooze!"

Hisako blushed slightly. "Hey, I'm just glad Leo was there to pull me from the brink."

"That's what family's for, sis," Leo assured her.

She nodded, smiling. "Still, seeing that hellhole crash and burn… that was long overdue."

"Agreed," Kagome nodded. "And a lot of kids at school are still talking about how we took that ship down."

"Who knew we'd get our own fan club?" Mikey remarked.

"I'm still surprised Dad didn't ground us for spilling the beans on our existence," Vee said.

"Well, we did save the world," Donnie pointed out.

"And let's face it," Raph added, "as big a secret as we are and with all the bad guys we take out on a regular basis, word was gonna get out sooner or later."

"Let's just be happy there's as much good buzz about us as bad," Donnie remarked.

"Yeah," Kagome said. "The one constant I've found is that kids love you."

"Oh, yeah," Mikey remarked with a smile. "We babysit Kristy every other Saturday."

"She really seems to love us," Leo mused.

"And why not?" Mikey questioned. "We're awesome!"

"That we are," Kagome said with a grin. "But we better not let this get to our heads. The last time we did-"

"Yeah, we know," Donnie cut in. "Shredder ripped out our egos and beat us with them."

"C'mon, guys," Leo said, standing up. "Let's finish up our run, then make a pit stop at Murakami's."

"Aw, yeah!" Mikey cheered. "Pizza gyoza!"

They stood up to do so, but as they did, Hisako stiffened, sensing something.

"Oh, boy," Kagome said flatly. "I know that look."

"There are people just down the block," Hisako reported. "A small band. They're… they're looking for Dad."

"The Foot?" Raph questioned. "Man, doesn't Shredder know when to take a holiday?"

"Holiday?" Mikey quipped. "C'mon, Raph. With how uptight Shredhead is, I doubt he can relax enough to take a leak."

Raph snorted, then slapped Mikey.

"They're northeast," Hisako told them. "Near Main Street."

"C'mon," Leo said. "Let's see if we can get the drop on 'em."

-X-

They crept along the rooftops and soon saw a group of eight ninjas atop a roof.

One of them, apparently the one in charge, was an older man with black hair in a bowl-cut and brown eyes. He was dressed in a black gi under a gray undershirt and belt, with a katana sheathed at his side.

Another, seemingly the second in command, was a woman in her early thirties with long black hair in a bun and brown eyes. She was dressed in a black gi with yellow lightning bolt-like designs extending down from her shoulders to her outer thighs, and a yellow belt tied at her left hip with two sais sheathed in her belt.

The next one was a boy around their age, with short brown hair and green eyes. His gi was black with yellow trim and a matching belt. He wore black fingerless gloves, a yellow bandana tied around his forehead, and a black leather jacket with a yellow insignia on the back covered by twin katanas sheathed on his back. He knelt down, petting a brown-and-white Akita Inu dog with a red collar.

The fourth was a girl around the same age, with waist-length black hair with caramel highlights and blue eyes. Her features were highlighted by pink eyeshadow and lip gloss and she wore white earrings and had two blue ribbons tied on either side of her head, just above her ears. She wore an outfit that bore more than a passing resemblance to the uniform of a kyūdō (1) practitioner, consisting of loose gray pants and a white long-sleeved shirt under a black gi top, with a traditional Yumi (2) and a quiver filled with arrows on her back.

The fifth was another girl with black hair in a ponytail and green eyes. She was wearing tasteful green lipstick and eyeshadow. She wore a green bandana around her head, a midriff-baring long-sleeved green top with purple lines extending down her arms from her shoulders, matching green pants with similar purple lines extending down her outer legs to her calves, and green gloves with purple fingers and green Converse sneakers. Attached to her back was a small metal pole.

The sixth was a young boy around fourteen years old with brown hair and hazel eyes. His outfit was a blue zip-up hoodie with red trim over a red-and-blue gi top and blue pants with black shoes. At his sides were twin jitte (3).

The seventh was a girl around the same age as the sixth, with long light brown hair and aqua-colored eyes covered in brown-rimmed square glasses. She wore a light blue uniform with pink trim and belt, and had twin tonfas on her back and a belt containing what appeared to be a first aid kit buckled around her hips.

The eighth was a girl who couldn't be any older than twelve, with dark brown hair that reached her shoulder blades and purple eyes. She was wearing a dark gray uniform with black trim and belt, and didn't seem to be carrying a weapon.

Last but not least was another teenage girl, with long, wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. She had a white bandana tied around her forehead and wore a pink uniform with dark blue trim and belt, along with gold-and-white armor resembling Karai's, with an ōdachi (4) sheathed at her hip.

The teens observed the group, more than a little put off by their numbers, and the wide variety of weapons they all possessed. They didn't need Hisako's powers to know that all of them were formidable warriors in their own right, far superior to that of your classic Foot goon.

"Shredder must be calling in the elite." Raph whispered.

"And most of them are kids," Mikey said.

"So is Karai," Kagome pointed out. "Don't underestimate them."

"Okay, we need a distraction," Leo said. "Something to throw them off guard."

"I might have an idea," Hisako piped up.

She held out a hand and her mist began to trickle towards the group, specifically towards the boy in the bandanna, and the dog at his heels. The mist clouded the dog's eyes and it yawned, curling up where it stood and falling asleep. They all perked, looking down. The girl in green rolled her eyes.

"Fine time to take a nap, Miko."

The woman in the black gi noticed the mist beginning to dissipate. Of course, she didn't know it was mist, and immediately assumed the worst.

"Get back!" she shouted.

Everyone instantly jumped back.

"Panicking," Donnie remarked. "Perfect."

"Mikey, how many smoke bombs do you have?" Leo asked.

Mikey grinned. "More than enough."

"Flood the area, then we pick them off one at a time," Leo ordered.

Mikey nodded. "I'm on it."

He pulled out four smoke bombs, then threw them down at the ninjas below them. Immediately, the roof was flooded in thick smoke. All of the Turtles put on their serious eyes and drew their weapons, Hisako connecting them psychically before they all jumped into the smoke. They made for the younger members first. Leo found himself crossing katanas with the boy with the dog. He used the smoke to his advantage as they crossed blades, Hisako running interference from the roof and providing locations.

"Whoever you are, you're cowards!" the woman in black shouted. "Show yourselves and face us like men!"

"Wow, rude," Kagome deadpanned.

"I know, right?" Vee agreed.

Even in this situation, the woman opted for sarcasm. "...Okay, warriors. Whatever. You get the point!"

"A true warrior makes use of their surroundings," Raph retorted. He came behind her and nearly hit her with his sai, but she managed to evade in time. "Not our fault you can't see."

"Well, it kinda is, but-" Mikey began.

"MIKEY!" his siblings all shouted.

"This is crazy!" the kyudo girl yelled. "How do they know where we are in this mess?!"

The older man looked every which way, before his eyes fell on Hisako up on the roof nearby. He saw the mist rising around her, and the glow behind her eyes.

"Majo … (5)" His eyes narrowed before he pulled away from the group. Hisako had just enough time to notice his disappearance before she had to duck a katana slash from behind. Hisako had just enough time to notice his disappearance before she had to duck a katana slash from behind.

"Yikes!" She rolled onto her feet, drawing her tessen. With Hisako's concentration broken, the smoke cleared, allowing both groups to see each other clearly.

"Nandayo?! (6)" the girl in green questioned.

"Kappa…" said the boy in red. "But what are they doing in America?"

"Kappa?" Donnie repeated. "Do we look like we have bowls in our skulls?"

"Hey, at least they're not calling us frogs," Raph said.

"They have a majo on their side as well!" All eyes turned to the man, who was still facing off with Hisako. "That green fog was from her!"

The katana boy's eyes lit up with rage. "You hurt my dog, you dirty majo ?! I'll SKIN YOU ALIVE!"

"I didn't hurt him! I just put him to- YIPE!" Hisako narrowly avoided another swipe from the man. "-put him to sleep!"

The woman looked over the six of them, her eyes falling on Kagome. She blinked, noticing she looked familiar.

"Why do I think I've seen her before…"

Before she could ponder it any further, Jade drew her staff, staring the Turtles and Kagome down. "Let's see how well you do without your majo 's magic tricks backing you up!"

"Trust me, we got this," Leo shot back, the group all rushing forward.

As the others clashed, the kyūdō girl looked up, seeing Hisako distracted with the man.

"As they say, shoot the mage first…" She notched an arrow, taking aim at Hisako's back. Vee was the first to notice and instantly rushed at the girl, kicking her aside and making her miss.

"Big mistake…" she hissed.

The kyudo girl jumped to her feet, holding her bow melee-style as Vee engaged in battle with her.

"Thanks, Vee," Hisako said mentally.

"Focus on your own fight," Vee shot back.

As this went on, Donnie and the girl in green faced off. She pressed a button on the side of the metal pole, which extended into a full-length staff.

"Nice stick you got there," Donnie quipped. "Wanna test it against mine?"

"Yours is wood, mine's metal," the girl retorted. "I'd say I win this one, buddy."

"It's not what it's made of that counts!" Donnie replied. "It's how you use it!"

"Whoa, Donnie!" Mikey declared as he clashed with the boy in red. "Should I let April know you're flirting with other girls?"

The girl in green scoffed. "You're not my type, anyway."

"What, you don't like the lean green?" Mikey questioned.

The girl rolled her eyes as she fought with Donnie, and Mikey's own opponent regained his attention. Mikey turned around just in time to find a digital camera shoved in his face.

"Say cheese!" the boy declared before snapping a picture, the flash going off right in Mikey's eyes.

"Gah!" Mikey reeled back, rubbing his eyes. "Dude, not cool!"

Ironically, as the boy tried to land a blow, Mikey was dodging his attempts, all while still rubbing his eyes and blinking.

"Say the ones who ambushed us out of nowhere with smoke bombs and a majo !" the boy shot back.

"Yeah?" Raph retorted. "Well, of course we're gonna go after the ninjas trying to hunt down our father!"

"What are you talking about?" the girl in pink questioned.

"Don't play dumb," Leo snapped. "You're after our father, and we won't let you hurt him."

"Why would we be-" the boy in red was cut off by a kick from Mikey. "OW!"

Seeing this, the girl with glasses gasped before scowling.

"Makoto!" She charged at Mikey, blades popping out of the ends of the tonfas. He quickly popped into his shell and fell, causing her swing to go wide, on top of embarrassingly tripping on his now spinning shell. She skidded slightly, the sound of glass breaking as she landed. She pulled herself up, gaping at the sight of her glasses, the lenses shattered by the fall.

"Aw crap, my glasses!"

"Ha!" Mikey popped out of his shell. "Not so tough now, are you little-"

He yelped as the girl's foot connected with his groin. "I don't need to see to kick your slimy green ass!"

Up on the rooftop, Hisako was barely holding her own against the man, her powers barely able to warn her in time.

"Attacking us this night was your greatest mistake, girl," he informed her.

"Oh I wouldn't say that," Hisako replied.

She was looking for an opening, anything that would let her get close enough. She brought her tessen up to block an attack, then threw one right at the man, which he easily caught. Before he cast it aside, he stopped, noticing the design on it. His eyes widened, seeing the familiar crest stamped into the metal.

"This is-"

Hisako moved fast, lunging forward and shoving her hand into his head.

"Fool," she spat.

She focused, the man giving a pained shout as she sifted through his mind.

"Alright, time to see who Shredder sent this... time?" As she hit the memory core, she saw images of the man with a younger Kasumi and human Splinter, training and otherwise simply having fun. She removed her hand, staring down at the man. "Who… are you?"

"Who am I? Who are you?" Shaking off the pain he still felt, the man held up the discarded tessen. "Why do you bear the crest of the Hamato Clan?"

'Because we are the Hamato Clan."

"No, we are!"

"Impossible," Hisako shot down coldly. "Shredder eradicated the Hamato Clan sixteen years ago, the day he killed Tang Shen and our sister Miwa."

"Sister Miwa…" the man perked, realizing the implications. "Hamato Yoshi. He did survive."

"Yeah, he did." Hisako held out her hand and her tessen snapped back into her palm as she got into a fighting pose. "And we'll die before we let Foot Clan traitors anywhere near him."

"Traitor?! Never!" The man immediately got on his knees. "I am Hamato Clan and always will be! The same goes for the others!"

Hisako remained skeptical, so the man turned to the fight on the lower roof. "Stand down!"

"What?!" the woman shouted. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"They're actively trying to kill us, Dad!" the girl in pink yelled.

"It's a misunderstanding! The majo's weapons bear the Hamato crest! They're Yoshi's disciples!"

"We're his kids," Leo corrected. "His sons and daughters."

At the man's words, the woman perked, getting a good look at Kagome's face.

"Of course…" she realized. "No wonder you look so familiar. You're Kasumi's daughter! I thought for sure you died with Kasumi and Master Yoshi that night!"

"Who are you?" Kagome demanded. "How do you know me?"

"I'm Mishima Seiko. I used to babysit you and the rest of the clan's children."

"Uh, that doesn't mean much," Mikey pointed out.

"Yeah," Donnie agreed. "The Hamato Clan either defected to the Foot or were murdered by Shredder."

"Not all of them," the woman insisted. "Those of us who still had honor went underground."

"We've been duped in the past," Leo said.

"Well, Mikey was duped," Raph chimed in.

"Hey!" Mikey objected.

"And Leo's crushing on one."

"Not now, Raph!"

The dog boy sighed. "You want proof we're not with the Foot? How about this?"

He turned around, displaying the back of his jacket and allowing them to get a good look of the insignia on the back: the Hamato Clan crest in yellow.

"Well…" Vee began, "I'm convinced."

"By a jacket?" Raph asked incredulously.

Vee nodded. "No Foot ninja would ever willingly wear our crest. Not with Shredhead's vendetta against Dad."

"She's right," Donnie realized.

Leo couldn't argue with their points and slowly backed down. "Alright then. Still, I'm not exactly keen on bringing these guys home. With this many people, it's too big a risk of being spotted, and I highly doubt the Shellraiser is big enough for all of them."

A moment passed before the glasses girl snapped her fingers. "Then you can come to us. We've set up shop in an apartment complex in Chinatown, on the corner of Canal Street."

"And yes, we're aware of the irony of Japanese ninjas setting up shop in Chinatown," the girl in green chimed in. "So don't bother pointing that out."

"It's a solid plan, Leo," Kagome agreed. "And we can call Mom and Splinter to come meet us."

"Alright," Leo decided. "But I want to scout the area first before we call Dad and Kasumi."

"Has anyone ever told you you're very paranoid?" the dog boy asked.

"I'm a mutant turtle who's being hunted by ninjas, robots, and aliens," Leo defended. "Besides, in our line of work, 'paranoid' is another word for 'not dead yet.'"

"Touché," the boy conceded.

"We will lead you," the man said. "And hopefully we can prove that we are of the same clan and that we only wish to aid Yoshi."

The boy in leather headed for his dog, nudging him awake as the girl with tonfas looked over her broken glasses.

"Yeah, they're toast. Tai, do you have my spare?"

Tai, the dog boy, reached into his jacket and pulled out a case, holding it out. "And this is why I carry them, Erika."

Erika just scoffed as she pulled out the spare glasses, slipping them on as Tai turned back to his dog.

"C'mon Miko, wake up…"

"Here, let me." Hisako held out her hand and mist slipped out of the dog. Immediately, it yawned and stretched, getting up. Tai scratched him behind the ears, and with that, the group headed off.

"Of course!" Seiko realized. "We never introduced ourselves. As I said, I'm Mishima Seiko." she placed a hand on the boy in red and the twelve-year-old. "These are my kids, Makoto and Akemi."

Both of them waved.

"The dog's Miko, right?" Hisako asked. "He's adorable."

"Word of advice: don't mess with him in the future," Erika cautioned. "My brother gets... a little crazy whenever someone does that."

"Understatement of the year," said the girl in green. "Remember that time some Foot jerks kicked Miko, and Tai broke their teeth?"

"I regret nothing," Tai said matter-of-factly.

"I won't, I promise." Hisako held out her hand for Miko to sniff. He looked at her for a moment before hopping out of Tai's arms and onto her. She yelped and he landed on top of her, just laying on her.

"Hey, whoa!" Raph exclaimed.

"What the hell?" Tai let out. "I've never seen him do that before."

"It's all right," Hisako assured. "He's not hurting me. Honestly, it's… kinda nice."

She smiled slightly as Miko rested his head on her.

"Sorry to cut this short, but we gotta get going," Vee insisted.

"Right," Tai nodded. "Some other time, Miko. Down, boy."

Miko refused to move.

"Right," Hisako stood up, holding the dog.

"Anyway, back to introductions," Erika cut in. "I'm Matsuda Erika. My brother here is Taiichi."

"Call me Tai," said Tai. "Everyone does."

"I'm Mashimi Hana," the girl in pink piped up before gesturing to the girl in green. "And this is Liu Jade."

"Liu?" Mikey repeated.

"I'm half-Chinese American," Jade said simply.

"Chinese and Japanese…" Kagome mused. "Interesting combination."

"Hey, I don't even know my ethnicity, and these guys are turtles," Hisako pointed out. "So we're not one to throw stones."

"And I am Mashimi Yukio," said the man.

"I'm Leonardo," said Leo. "The purple one is Donatello, the red is Raphael, Orange is Michelangelo, and Yellow is Venus."

"And I'm Hisako," Hisako added.

"Lee Kagome," Kagome concluded. "But if you knew my mom, you probably already knew that."

"Speaking of…" Leo began.

"I'm on it," Kagome pulled out her phone, dialing her mom…

Down in the lair, Splinter and Kasumi had met for tea and to watch the latest episode of their favorite soap opera. Kasumi had ahold of Splinter's shoulder as the male lead proposed to his love interest.

"No, Roderick! Don't do it!" she pleaded. "She'll betray you again!"

"Some men just never learn," Splinter said, shaking his head.

Kasumi's phone then proceeded to ring. She sighed.

"Always when it's getting good…" Nonetheless, she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Mom, " Kagome greeted. "So uh… does the name Mashimi Yukio ring a bell?"

Kasumi's eyes went wide at that, her teacup falling out of her hand. "Where did you hear that name?"

"From him. When we engaged him and his clan." There was a slight pause. "The Hamato Clan survived, Mom. They survived, and they're here."

"Kagome Lee... is this your idea of a joke?"

"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Mom. You know me better than that. I just texted you an address. Come, and bring Master Splinter. Trust me, you won't be disappointed."

As she hung up, Kasumi looked at the address: 10048 Canal Street (7).

"Yoshi… our clan…" she turned to him, completely shocked by what she had learned. "They live..."

Author's Note:

(1): The Japanese martial art of archery. Experts in kyūdō are referred to as kyūdōka. Kyūdō is based on Kyūjutsu ("art of archery"), which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan.

(2): The Japanese term for a bow. As used in English, yumi refers more specifically to traditional Japanese asymmetrical bows, and includes the longer daikyū and the shorter hankyū used in the practice of kyūdō and kyūjutsu.

(3): A specialized weapon that was used by police in Edo period Japan. Jitte may have a small pointed tip or blade attached to the tsuka and hidden in the boshin. Jitte could be highly decorated with all manner of inlays and designs or very plain and basic depending on the status of the owner and the jitte's intended use. Jitte can range in length from around 12 inches to over 24 inches.

(4): A type of traditionally made Japanese sword used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The Chinese equivalent and 'cousin' for this type of sword in terms of weight and length is the miao dao, and the Western battlefield equivalent (though less similar) is the longsword or claymore.

(5): Japanese for Witch

(6) Japanese for "What the hell?"

(7): The address of Canal Street Electronics from American Dragon: Jake Long.

With the exception of Yukio Mashimi, who hails from the 2003 show, all members of the Hamato Clan here are my OCs. Hana's character is inspired by Hamato Hana, Hamato Yoshi's niece in the Mirage comics, as well as the character of the same name from Fire Emblem Fates.

Yukio maintains his VA from the 2003 show, Sean Schemmel. Voice cast for the others:

* Tai- Bryce Papenbrook (Kirito from Sword Art Online, Shugo from .hack/Legend of the Twilight, Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan, Rin Okumura from Blue Exorcist, Cat Noir from Miraculous: Adventures of Ladybug & Cat Noir, Silver's current voice in the Sonic games)

* Mizuki- Kari Wahlgren (Robin Sena from Witch Hunter Robin, Saya Otonashi & Diva from Blood+, Fuu Kasumi from Samurai Champloo, Charmcaster from Ben 10, Kagami Hiiragi from Lucky Star, Haruko Haruhara from FLCL, Ashe from Final Fantasy XII)

* Jade- Trina Nishimura (Akeno Shiranui from My Bride is a Mermaid, Lan Fan from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan, Chao Lingshen from Negima, Aiko Kudo from Baka and Test, Meiling Li in Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card)

* Erika- Cassandra Lee Morris (Leafa from Sword Art Online, Morgana from Persona 5, Amy from Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Kyubey from Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Ritsu Tainaka from K-On!, Aika Nakamura from Persona 4: The Animation, Tsurara Oikawa from Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Leifang in Dead or Alive 5 onward)

* Makoto- Todd Haberkorn (Tsukune Aono from Rosario + Vampire, Allen Walker from D. Gray-man, Natsu Dragneel from Fairy Tail, Kimihiro Watanuki in xxxHolic & Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Ayato Kirishima from Tokyo Ghoul)

* Akemi- Luci Christian (Mariko from Elfen Lied, Nagisa Furukawa & Ushio Okazaki from Clannad, Lenalee Lee from D. Gray-man, Asuna Kagurazaka from Negima, Nami from One Piece, Stella Vermillion from Chivalry of a Failed Knight)

* Hana- Eden Riegel (Bianca Montgomery from All My Children, Marie from Persona 4, Kaede Kaburagi from Tiger & Bunny, Hitomi from Dead or Alive, Estelle from Tales of Vesperia, Iris Amicitia from Final Fantasy XV)

Please R&R. Until next time!